Bragnae woke up the next morning feeling stiff and achy all over. As she opened her eyes, she saw rays of light coming in through the window, brightening up her room. Looking next to her, the bed was empty. Leo was gone. Disappointment covered her like a cold blanket.

After what happened last night, she thought he had come miles from where he started. And now, it seemed he abandoned her again. Of course, if he needed to leave for school she couldn't quite blame him, but she still would have liked to be woken up before he left. She wanted to thank him for staying with her and helping her to fall into a peaceful and sound sleep. Perhaps, it was for the best that he left, but she couldn't shake the sadness that filled her over his absence.

She got out of bed and went to the bathroom for her morning routine. She inspected her bruised cheek in the mirror, and winced at the memory of the horrific assault that ensued last night. After brushing out her hair, she threw it up into a bun at the top of her head.

Bragnae got dressed in casual clothes, but didn't bother with any make-up because she knew she'd be skipping school today. There was no way she'd go to class with her face all bruised up, having to deal with stares and questions all day. After she got some coffee in her, she'd send an email to her professors letting them know why she wasn't there.

Stepping out of her bedroom, she walked towards the kitchen hearing Madeleine talking. When she peeked around the corner she saw Leo standing with her by the counter sipping on what she assumed was coffee based on the delicious smell that filled the air. Her mouth fell open slightly in surprise as she halted in her tracks.

He hadn't left without saying goodbye. She felt the corners of her mouth lift as she watched him conversing casually with her roommate. Whatever they were talking about, it seemed they were getting along at least.

Not exactly in a covert position, Bragnae was soon spotted by Madeleine. "There you are!" She said with enthusiasm. "Come here and let me see your—." Madeleine gasped, interrupting her own sentence. "Oh my God! Look at your face!" She said running over to Bragnae with her hands gingerly examining it.

"Good thing I'm not self-conscious about it or anything," Bragnae replied sarcastically.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little sore today." Her eyes flicked to Leo who was staring back at her. "Morning, Leo," she said warmly. He smiled as he brought the cup of coffee to his lips.

"Hey, B, will you help me pick out some shoes for class today? You know, in my room?" Madeleine asked.

Hearing such an odd request, Bragnae knew she really wanted to talk in private rather than gain advice about her footwear – especially since she was already wearing shoes.

She nodded and let Madeleine lead the way. Bragnae offered a quick but apologetic smile to Leo before she followed along. Once they were inside her room, Madeleine shut the door.

"Okay, so what's up with the blonde hunk in our kitchen? I thought he was an asshole to you?"

Bragnae took a deep breath. "Did he tell you anything about last night?"

"Only that he helped save you from a couple of jerks. But why is he still here? Did you guys sleep together again?" Madeleine placed a judging hand on her hip with her chin tucked in and an even stare.

"No, of course not. Last night, I was really shaken up from the attack, and I asked him to stay because it felt safer with him here."

"So, he's not an asshole anymore?" Madeleine looked at her expectantly.

Bragnae shook her head. "No. We've had a few talks lately, and I finally saw that he truly cares about me and feels remorse for what he did. I couldn't believe him at first, but after he kicked those guys' asses last night, and then brought me home to take care of me," she paused remembering the tender moment with him, "I actually believe him now."

Madeleine's expression softened as her hand fell from her hip. "Well, that's good. I'm glad he redeemed himself. And I'm glad he had your back last night." She shook her head as her eyes scanned over Bragnae. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, B. It must have been awful."

"It was, but it could have been much worse." Her eyes were caught in a stare as memories from last night flooded her brain again.

Madeleine watched her another moment before pulling Bragnae into a gentle embrace. She ran a hand over her back soothingly. "I've gotta get to class, but I'll check in with you later." Pulling back, she said, "We're not working tonight, so let's have a relaxing night in. We can paint our nails, watch movies, and eat the crap out of some comfort food."

Bragnae smiled. "That sounds great. Thanks, Maddie."

The two of them left Madeleine's room and headed back to the kitchen. Madeleine grabbed her back pack and purse and left for school while Bragnae moseyed over to where Leo stood.

"Want some coffee?" He asked, pocketing his phone.

"Coffee would be great." When she made a move towards the cabinet, he stepped in front of her.

"I'll make it for you. Have a seat."

"Thanks," she replied before walking to the bar stool on the opposite side of the counter.

The aromatic cinnamon coffee brewed, filling the air with its sweet, heavenly scent. As it poured into the mug, Leo opened the fridge. "Want creamer?"

"Yes, please." She watched him grab the bottle, and pour more than a splash into the mug before returning it to the fridge. After giving it a quick stir, he placed the hot cup in front of her. "Thank you, Leo."

"No problem." He picked up his own java, and took a drink.

Taking a small sip, she enjoyed its rich taste before the hot liquid ran down her throat. She looked at Leo as a small grin crossed over her lips.

"What's that look for?" He asked.

She hesitated for a moment before answering. "You stayed."

His eyes focused more as he squared his body to face her. "What?"

"When I woke up and you weren't there, I thought you had left... without saying anything. I was disappointed. But you stayed."

He pursed his lips in understanding. "I wouldn't have done that to you, Bragnae. Even if I had to leave for class before you got up. I told you things are different now."

"I see that." She looked into his eyes with clarity. "I wanted to thank you again for last night. You staying with me meant a lot. I'm still kind of rattled by all of this, but you being here makes it easier."

"I'm glad."

"And I wanted you to know that I forgive you for what you did the night we went to the club."

"You do?" His face was overcome with astonishment. "What made you change your mind? Was it because I fought those guys last night?"

Bragnae looked down at her coffee to collect her thoughts. "It was more than that. Earlier in the night when we talked, I couldn't see how you'd ever convince me that you were genuinely sorry and that it would never happen again. And at that time, I had no idea what you could do to make everything better." She paused to wet her lips. "And then you came to my rescue, but it wasn't just that you subdued them. You took me home, you comforted me when I was scared, and you helped me through the worst night of my life."

She averted her gaze for a moment when her eyes began to glisten. "I knew you didn't do all of that just to win me over. You did it because you cared about me. When it mattered most, you didn't leave me." The emotions from the night prior had caught up with her, making Bragnae break into tears. Immediately, Leo rushed to her side.

He turned her away from the counter and pulled her against his chest. His strong arms encircled her as she rested her cheek on his firm body. Even now as she wept, he was there holding her and making her feel safe again.

Leo lower his head to speak softly in her ear. "I'm sorry it had to happen that way for you to realize my true intentions, but I'm glad you did."

She pulled back to look at him. "Me too."

He bent over to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes in relief at the gesture.

"You're not planning on going to school today, are you?" He asked in a soft voice, stepping back to give her space.

"No. I don't think I could handle that and everything else today."

"Good. I was going to suggest it. You should just rest."

She nodded. "You're right. But I probably should notify the police about this. I should do it today so they can see what that asshole did to me." She clenched her fists in anger. "Do you mind if I tell them what you did?"

"No, go ahead. I won't get in any trouble. I was defending you."

She agreed. "And I have to call the tow truck to get my stupid car." With so much accumulating on her plate, Bragnae started to stress. She cradled her head in her hands, suddenly tuning into every ache and pain in her body.

"Hey, don't worry about that," he told her with a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'll take care of your car. Just give me your keys, and I'll meet the tow truck today in between classes."

Her gaze met his. "You'd do that for me?"

"Bragnae, I think we've already established that I'd do anything for you, including, but not limited to, beating some guy within an inch of his life because he crossed too many lines."

She giggled. "You're right. Thank you for taking that burden off of my shoulders. It already makes me feel better." Something he said triggered a thought. "When you went to move your bike last night, were the guys still laying there?"

"No. All that was left was a few blood stains that spilled on the sidewalk. They were lucky they could walk away on their own." Anger rose in his voice as he spoke while the muscles in his jaw clenched. "Fucking bastards."

She ran her hand down the length of his arm, which eased the tension in his face and calmed the look in his eyes. He smiled down at her. "I'd happily hang out with you today, but I do have to get to class. And I have to go home before I do that to grab my books. Can I have your car keys?"

"Oh, sure." She got up to retrieve the keys from her purse, and handed them to him. "Thank you again. Let me know what it costs for them to pick it up."

He waved her off. "Don't worry about it. I know a guy who owes me a favor. He'll do it for free. I'll text you later to let you know which shop we leave it with."

Bragnae hugged him, looping her arms around his waist. "Thank you for everything Leo. I'm so grateful for your help."

"Anytime," he said, hugging her back.

After he left, Bragnae went to sit at the counter again to finish her coffee. She was stunned at how everything had unfolded since last night, and this morning to be honest. Leo was an incredibly sweet and caring person. The glowing feelings she had for him before they made love at the club that night were reminders of how she felt now, only at this moment, they seemed stronger than before.

Her thoughts immediately shifted to Drake. "Oh, my God. I have to call him." She realized with all the drama, she hadn't told him about the assault yet. Granted, there wasn't exactly a lot of time seeing as it was late last night when it happened.

She retrieved her phone and dialed Drake's number. It rang twice before he picked up. She was relieved to have caught him.

"Shouldn't you be in class, Miss Bennett?" He asked.

The sound of his playful voice made her smile. "Yes, I should, but I'm not going today."

"Give me a minute, Chuck," she heard Drake say. "So, what's going on?" His attention returned to her.

Bragnae realized now might not be a good time to tell him she was attacked last night. She didn't want him to be distracted by the news and not perform well at his practices. Knowing how important getting the first line on his team was, she knew she couldn't jeopardize that by telling him something he could do little about. If the coach had already revealed the first line, then she would tell him.

"Not much. How's hockey going? Did your coach decide on the first line yet?" She prayed that he did.

"No, he won't do that until tomorrow night. We still have all day today and tomorrow to prove ourselves."

Shit. "I bet you're looking forward to tomorrow night, then."

"Yeah, after the announcements, the coach is taking us all out to a steakhouse for dinner. He said we've all worked really fucking hard, and we earned it."

Bragnae smiled. "That's great, and sounds yummy. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. So, why are you skipping class?"

She hated to withhold the truth from him, but knew she had to. "I don't feel very well, so I'm just going to take it easy."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better."

"Thank you." Anxious to divert the conversation, she offered him a piece of good news. "You might be happy to know that I am no longer working on Sunday. So, after you get back and when you're ready to see me, I can come over."

"Ooh, yes," Drake purred. "I can't wait to see you, Bragnae. You better believe I'll be calling you immediately when I get back."

"I'm looking forward to it. Only two more days."

"That's right. Only two days stand between us. I hope you feel better before Sunday because well, you're gonna need your strength and endurance."

Bragnae laughed. "I'll do my best."

"Alright, I gotta get going, but I'll talk to you soon." She heard a commotion in the background, which sounded like his team getting pumped up for one reason or another.

After they said their goodbyes, Bragnae ended the call. The discussion didn't go quite as she planned, but she'd tell him on Sunday. She'd tell him everything – even about Leo. He had to know. If they were going to take their relationship to the next level – again – Drake deserved to know what happened.

~

Sunday came faster than Bragnae expected. She had worked with both the campus police and the local city police department retelling her side of the story. An investigation was opened, and it turned out that it was actually quite easy to pinpoint who Ralph was as well as his lowlife friends.

Since Leo had also witnessed the crime taking place, it only strengthened Bragnae's claim. When Bragnae was asked to the police station on Saturday to identify her attackers, it was only then when she was able to see the number Leo had done on them. The two lackeys had bruised up faces, but it was Ralph who had a broken nose, a bloodshot eye and two horrendous gashes in his skin framing his face. He looked pitiful, but Bragnae felt no sympathy for him.

She decided to press charges, and therefore Ralph and his buddies were booked for assault and being party to a crime. The manager at Mikey's had banned them from ever coming back to the restaurant, and decided from then on that all employees would be escorted to their vehicles at the end of their night shifts.

It would have been the easy thing to quit her job, but with over three years of being a part of the staff at Michelangelo's, she didn't want to just throw that away because of one incident.

After Leo had gotten her car to the shop, they immediately diagnosed the problem as a bad fuel pump. Luckily, it only took a day to replace, but cost her a pretty penny in the end.

Drake had been giving her text updates all morning as he got closer to town. She had about twenty minutes before she was going to meet him at his apartment. Her nerves kicked in as she got ready to go. As excited as she was to see him again, the thought of how he was going to react to her news had her worried.

They hadn't dated for long – she didn't even officially have the title of girlfriend either, but Bragnae still had strong feelings for Drake. Their bond was special, and different from the one she shared with Leo. It was hard to pinpoint, but she cared for both of them nonetheless. None of this was easy, but with her feelings for Leo now more clearly defined, she didn't feel right keeping Drake in the dark.

Ten minutes before she was expected, Bragnae made her way over to his apartment. Despite possibly hurting him with what she had to say, at least she'd be returning his Chevy Silverado without a scratch and a full tank of gas.

Taking a deep breath, she got out of the truck and headed up to second floor of the apartment building. She knocked on his door and waited with baited breath to see his face again.

Another moment passed when the door opened and Leo was standing there in a tank top and athletic shorts. He was fidgeting with his keys in one hand and had his phone and ear buds in the other. Expecting to see Drake, she was a little thrown off, but smiled at him anyway.

"Hi," she said almost shyly.

He grinned. "Hey. You can go on in. I'm heading to the gym." As he brushed past her, he put a warm hand on her arm. His touch prompted her to turn her head to watch him walk down the stairs.

Bragnae shook herself out of the momentary spell, and walked inside the apartment. She looked around not seeing Drake, so she headed into his bedroom. His unpacked hockey bag and suitcase sat on the floor. His bed was made, but he wasn't in there. The television was on, playing an action movie she'd never seen before.

She took a seat on the bed, and watched the movie while she waited. The movie was exciting, drawing her in until she felt herself being dipped back towards the bed. Her sudden gasp was covered instantly by Drake's mouth as he devoured hers in a surprising but heated kiss. Her back was against the mattress as he hovered above her making the incredible 'hello' kiss an upside down one. The sensation was unique, but pleasurable all the same.

He finally released her after playfully tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth. "Hi, there."

She giggle. "What an entrance, Mr. Walker."

"What can I say? I missed ya." He bent down to kiss her again before helping her sit up.

Bragnae shifted on the bed to face him as he took a seat. His smiled faded as he leaned in to focus his eyes on her.

"Bragnae, is that a bruise on you face? What happened to your lip?" His face was wrought with concern.

She knew her face would be a dead giveaway. Even though her bruising had faded a bit, it was still evident that her face had seen better days. Same for her lip. It had mostly healed with the assistance of ointments, but anyone could tell something had torn it open.

He scooted closer to her, and gently lifted under her jaw to see the bruising better. "Did this hurt?"

She brought a hand up to his, and drawing it down to her lap. "Yeah, it did."

"Well, what happened? Looks like you got into a fight." His brow furrowed as his eyes continued to scan her face while his hand found the remote to turn off the TV.

She inhaled deeply. Here we go. "I was at work on Thursday night, and one of my customers grabbed my ass. So, I turned around and slugged him for it."

Drake's worried look quickly transformed into restrained anger. "Yeah... go on."

Bragnae swallowed before continuing. "Well, later after my shift was over, my car wouldn't start, so I decided to walk home." She felt heaviness in her chest as she recounted the night. Even with her assailants caught, the incident was still too fresh in her mind, making it difficult to talk about without becoming emotional.

Drake had recaptured her fallen gaze with alarm now raised in his eyes. "Bragnae, what the fuck happened? Did someone hurt you?"

"While I was walking home, that same customer and his friends followed me. They were belligerent, and I told them to go home, but then they chased me down the street." She could feel his rage growing beside her, but pushed herself to finish the story. "I had to wait to cross an intersection because of an oncoming car, and that's when he hit me in the face and knocked me down."

Drake stood from the bed in a flash. "What the fuck?! Who is this guy? I'll fucking kill him."

She grabbed his hand and gently tugged. Her calm voice brought his attention back to her. "Drake, please let me finish."

His chest heaved with frantic breaths, but he sat down slowly on the bed to allow her to continue. Bragnae briefly remembered that Drake was already on edge from not having any sort of release of tension in his body, so his reactions might be more amplified.

"After he knocked me down, he tried to rip my shirt off, but he was too drunk to be coordinated for that. Luckily, this allowed time for Leo to help me. He was able to level the other two quickly, and then beat the other guy's ass... thoroughly."

Drake sat there stunned, trying to follow the story. "Leo was there?" She nodded as he sat back a little to take it in. "That's a relief. I know how well he can fight. I'm sure he fucked them up."

"He did. And the guys that did this have already been arrested." She watched him carefully as his eyes stared at the bedspread in contemplation.

"Why didn't you tell me about this, Bragnae? You said it happened Thursday night?" He asked, finding her eyes again.

"I was going to on Friday when I called you, but... I didn't want to distract you."

"Distract me from what?" He leaned in towards her again, waiting for her response.

"Well, I didn't want to make you worry about me while you were trying to get the first line on the team. I know how important that was to you." She felt timid under his adamant gaze.

Drake scoffed in disbelief. "What? Bragnae... fuck the first line. Don't you know you're more important to me than that? This wasn't just some bullshit thing. This was your safety and quite possibly your life that was at risk." He sandwiched her hand between his, looking into her eyes. "I don't care what is going on in my life, if you're hurt or being threatened or anything else that makes you upset, I want to know about it. I want to be there for you, Bragnae – no matter what. If you would have told me this on Friday, I would have left to come be with you. Hockey is my life, but you mean more to me than that. Hands down."

Her eyes began to water as a smile breached her lips. He had once again floored her with his words. When would she realize that he truly cared about her? Better yet, when would she start to believe that she was worth caring about? Both Drake and Leo had professed their deep feelings to her, and even though she heard their words, somehow she'd always find an excuse to discredit them to mean less than they did. How unfair of her to do to herself.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I should have."

Drake gently gripped her chin with his fingers. "Promise me you'll keep me in the loop from here on out."

"I promise," she said with a delicate voice.

"Good." He leaned forward to kiss her sweetly.

Bragnae sighed in relief. "So... did you get it? The first line?"

He looked at her for a moment before a smirk appeared on his face. "Yes. I was the first one named."

She beamed at him, immediately cupping his face to pull him in for another kiss. "I knew you'd get it. That's wonderful. Congratulations!"

"Thank you. I'm pretty happy about it." He smiled, but the way he affectionately poured his gaze over her told her it wasn't about hockey. Drake brushed his fingers against her cheek, drawing her in for another tender kiss. His hand casually slid down to her leg, hooking around her knee with the other hand at her lower back. In a swift motion, he pulled her closer, draping her legs over his.

A delightful tingle ran down her spine as their kiss deepened. His touch was slow and deliberate. As amazing as it was, Bragnae reminded herself that she still had more to say. She achingly pulled away from his soft lips. His tempered, brown eyes were full of warmth and passion as they peered into hers.

"There are still some things I wanted to talk to you about." It was horribly disappointing to have to stop them in their tracks to talk about Leo, but it was the right thing to do.

"I think we've talked enough for now," he said in a calm, convincing tone. Drake ran a gentle hand through her hair as his eyes leisurely roamed her face. "I missed you, Bragnae. I just want to feel you in my arms, and get lost in your full lips."

God, she wanted that too. Drake's eyes followed his hand as it lazily outlined the neckline of her shirt. His fingertips grazed across the top of her breast sending another delicious feeling through her body that pooled at her core. His face, mere inches from hers, was ruggedly beautiful. He looked so determined and yet peaceful. It was captivating. She watched his eyes slowly meet hers again, darkly rich with desire. Then, he trained on her mouth, leaning in with the utmost care until their lips connected.

Bragnae sank into his sensual kiss, parting her mouth to allow his tongue to tease hers. Drake had taken her breath away, as well as any sense of control she had over her thoughts to insist they speak before going any further. This was something they both had wanted since the night of the threesome – to be with just each other.

Inspired by his arousing touch, Bragnae adjusted to straddle Drake as she reached for the hem of her shirt to remove it all together. A soft smile laid on his lips as he looked up at her. His arms stretched around her back, his hands taking their time to find the hook of her bra as his mouth placed cherishing kisses on her neck and chest.

Her fingers wove through his hair while his dedicated mouth sent shivers throughout her body. With her bra unlatched, Bragnae allowed the straps to slide down her arms and off her body to give Drake free rein over her ample breasts. Drake covered her with a satisfying warmth and dampness, using his tongue and lips to draw her taut nipple into his mouth. She threw her head back, reveling in the divine sensation she felt especially when his hand paid her other breast equal attention, kneading and squeezing her affectionately.

She guided his mouth up to hers again in a more fervent kiss. The intensity between them started to increase, and Bragnae needed to feel his skin pressed against hers. She broke the kiss only to bring his shirt over his head. As she settled onto his lips again, Drake stood up taking her with him as he pushed the door to his room shut. He used the weight of their bodies to click it in place before setting her back down.

Drake locked the door before leaning both hands flat against the wooden surface on either side of her head. Her eyes hungrily swept over his muscled arms leading to his even more chiseled torso. She allowed her hands to slide down his glorious chest until they found his belt. Once she was past that barrier, she undid his jeans sliding those as well as his underwear down his legs. Drake stepped out of his clothes, and then picked Bragnae up again to take her back to the bed.

He dropped them both to the mattress keeping Bragnae on her back. His lips consumed hers for a heated moment before kissing down her neck, chest and stomach. His fingers popped open the button to her jeans, and then moved to lower the zipper. He gripped the top of her pants bringing them and her panties down her legs slowly adding to the anticipation of feeling him again.

With both of them now completely freed of any clothing, Drake crawled over her letting his eyes rake up the length of her body. "You are so unbelievably beautiful, Bragnae." He sank a smiling kiss to her lips as he nudged her legs open to fit his body between them.

She felt his massively hardened cock rubbing deliciously against her clit as he moved rhythmically above her. Her hands traveled down his back to his hips where she pressed him against her more. An inferno blazed between her legs, enhancing every touch with irrefutable pleasure.

Drake glided his cock along with her natural slickness, teasing and pleasing her, but she needed more. "Drake, I need you inside me, please," she begged while his attention was focused on her neck.

He propped himself up on one hand with a wicked smile looking down at her as he reached between them to guide his cock to her entrance. Their eyes locked as he pushed the tip of himself inside her. She gripped the sheets as her mouth dropped open. She shuddered as she felt his girth widen her. Drake's eyes rolled as his lids fluttered shut. His breathing immediately became more ragged than before.

"Jesus Christ, Bragnae. I could come right now." He blew out a concentrated breath as he opened his eyes again.

"Please, don't. I still need more of your dick." She giggled prompting him to join in.

"Oh, don't worry. I can manage. I'd never leave you dry." Drake dipped down to kiss her again as his hips slowly thrusted into her.

She could feel him stretching her walls as he filled her completely. "My, what a big dick you have, Drake."

He smirked at her. "The better to pleasure you with, my dear."

She adored how quickly he responded to her fairytale reference. Smiling, she pulled him in for a playful kiss that was swiftly interrupted by a pleasured gasp as he moved in and out of her at an unhurried pace. He was scratching the itch in all the right places.

"We're going to have to keep this slow for a bit, so you can get yours before I do," he told her as another slow breath left him.

"It's feeling really good." She felt him everywhere, and could already tell the warmth was building.

He bit his bottom lip and nodded in agreement as he continued to move above her at a consistent but conservative speed. As slow as it was, Bragnae felt it made the sex even more special. She was able to gaze into his dark eyes as both of them expressed the building sensation within. The deep affection she sensed between them only grew with each passing second. Desperate to convey her affection for him, she lifted her head to meet him in a tender kiss that left them both breathless. Drake rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and groaning as his hips rolled on.

Whimpering moans escaped Bragnae's throat as her release sat just out of reach. "Drake, I'm really close. Can you go faster, please?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, appearing relieved as he dug his hips into her with more determination.

Bragnae's fingertips pressed into his back as she felt her core beckoning for her to come. Drake's increased pace made her tremble as she came closer to the edge.

"I'm going to come with you," he told her, his eyes focusing completely on hers.

"Yes," she panted. "Come with me. I'm ready." The slow and steady build made for an explosive and powerful release that Bragnae hadn't experienced in a long time. She clutched to Drake as a loud and gasping moan left her lungs. In the midst of experiencing an incredible orgasm, she had the pleasure of watching Drake come undone above her.

His mouth gaped open revealing his gritted teeth. He took in a sharp breath only to release a shuddering throaty groan in exchange. Drake panted out a few more grunts as a satisfied smile formed over his lips.

"That was certainly worth the wait. Wow. I think I forgot my name for a second there." He chuckled as he bent down to capture her lips again. He slid his hands underneath her back pressing against her before rolling them to the side.

"That was amazing, Drake." She combed his hair back with her fingers as she looked at his relaxed and happy face. "It was so beautiful. I really enjoyed it." She had never felt closer to him than in that moment.

"Me too," he replied, taking her hand and placing a gentle kiss on it.

There was an overwhelming feeling of euphoria that filled her body. As she looked into his eyes, Bragnae realized just how much she cared for Drake. She loved him. The strong emotion had always been sitting there, but it wasn't until they made love – one on one, that she could truly identify it.

Her sudden serious expression must have alerted him because he looked concerned. "Are you okay, Bragnae?"

She nodded while plastering a gentle smile on her face. "Yeah. I'm just really glad we did this." Even though she felt this love for him, she wasn't sure it was the right time to bring it up, especially knowing she'd have to tell him about Leo next.

"It was long overdue." He leaned forward for a sweet kiss that lingered.

"Remember earlier when I said there were other things I wanted to talk to you about?" She asked.

He took a second to think. "Yeah."

"I'd like to do that now." Along with the all-consuming love that filled her heart was the fear that everything they had become would be torn apart in an instant. She braced herself as she prepared to tell Drake about the impact Leo had on her life.